A Facebook page that describes its output as satirical or humorous in nature posted the photo alleging it showed Walz. In reality, the image is from an episode of "Mad Men" called "My Old Kentucky Home" in which the fictional character Roger Sterling, played by actor John Slattery, sings a song in blackface to entertain guests at a party.
A photo supposedly showing the Democratic nominee for U.S. v
(Facebook Page American Liberty)
The claim spread across Facebook and X, where some readers seemed to interpret it as true. Several Snopes readers submitted requests for us to determine its legitimacy.
However, the photo in question does not show Walz in blackface. Rather, it is a still image from an episode of the TV show "Mad Men," in which the fictional character Roger Sterling, played by actor John Slattery, sings the song
The depiction of blackface in the "Mad Man" episode generated controversy. In 2020, the production company Lionsgate added a disclaimer to the episode to remind audiences "how commonplace racism was in America in 1963."
The false claim that the image shows Walz originated with a
The page's bio includes a link to a website, patriotpartypress.com, that displays the following disclaimer:
Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. if you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site's pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical. [...]
Snopes has addressed other satirical claims targeting Walz in the past, such as a rumor that his daughter received $82,000 in student loan forgiveness.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.